


Not In The Job Description

by Pagesandparagraphs



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), All Time Low, Fall Out Boy, Melanie Martinez (Musician), Panic! at the Disco, Set It Off (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Also everyone flirts with Luke at least once, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Music Store, Angst, Basically everyone is in college, Everybody gets drunk at least once, I am so sorry, I have no idea what I'm doing, Luke is done with everyone's shit, M/M, Multi, SO MUCH ALCOHOL, i'm probably going to hell, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-11-18 16:06:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11294094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pagesandparagraphs/pseuds/Pagesandparagraphs
Summary: Luke works at a music shop and sometimes there are some... very strange characters (aka everyone is in college and there's a music shop by the bar with its lights on)





	1. "The Guitar Was Mean To Me"

"This is where you work?" Michael asks, looking unimpressed. I shrug, leaning against the counter.

"This is the place," I say, humming. Calum snorts.

"How do you even stay awake?" He asks. "Do you get to play the instruments on your break or something?" I laugh.

"Sometimes I can get away with it if I say I'm tuning the guitars or if I bring more costumers in," I reply. "But usually I don't."

"This is where all your weird stories come from?" Ashton asks. "This looks pretty normal to me."

I snort, shaking my head. "Wait until it gets dark out," I reply. "You'll see what I mean."

Michael adjusts his jacket. "I mean," He says, "it's a shady place. Shady music shop on this side of town but, what's the worst that could happen?"

I grimace. "You don't want to know, and you don't want to ask that question," I reply. I laugh a little. "These eyes have seen things they shouldn't have."

"Did I forget to mention that in the job description?" My boss, Melanie, jokes. She walks by, ruffling my hair. I roll my eyes, laughing.

"Wasn't mentioned," I grumble back, which earns me a light smack upside the head. I laugh, moving away. She shakes her head at me, sighing.

"You're a blessing for dealing with that, by the way," She says. She walks over to the guitars, straightening them out. "Most of the employees won't. Gives me more time to work."

I laugh. "They're the only types of people that come around during my shift," I point out. "It's not like they're bothering anyone but us."

She hums in agreement. "Fair enough," She agrees. She folds her arms. "Though if those Jack and Alex boys come crashing through here one more time I might just lock them in the supply closet."

"You didn't tell me your boss has a sense of humor," Michael jokes. Melanie smiles dryly at him.

"He did however mention that if you went anywhere near that bar down the block you'd be one of our regulars by now." She walks back into the back room, where her office is.

Michael raises an eyebrow at me. "What does she mean by that?" He asks. I glance at the time, chuckling.

"You'll see," I reply. Then I raise my voice and yell, "The night crawl has officially begun!"

Melanie laughs. "Shut the fuck up and get back to work!" She yells back. I laugh.

"It's only 9PM, though," Calum points out. "It's not that late." I shrug.

"Late enough for them," I reply. I walk over to the window, adjusting the display. I make sure the drum kit is stable.

"Late enough for who?" They ask. I laugh.

"Stick around for a while and you'll see where I get all my stories."

They all exchange looks, shrugging. I know they don't care all that much. It's something to do on a Wednesday night. I know they don't have much better to do. They wouldn't have showed up at all if they did.

They all sit by the counter, scrolling on their phones. I idly walk around the shop, straightening things and occasionally tapping the displays. Cars go past like normal, people honking loudly at the stoplight at the end of the block. It's starting to get dark outside.

Just as I'm walking back behind the counter, our first drunk arrives. Tonight, it happens to be Pete. He plays in a band at the bar, but more often than not, he's an audience member with one too many beers. He goes to the same college as me, though he's 2 years older. I only know that because I ran into him in the cafeteria one day and I couldn't stop laughing because _oh my god this man is actually a college student._

He stumbles in, smacking his face on the glass door before it'll open. He laughs, nearly falling onto the floor. "Hey, Luke," He slurs, making his way to the counter. I laugh, shaking my head.

"How many did you have this time, Pete?" I ask. He holds up 7 fingers. I shake my head.

"You know you're going to hate yourself tomorrow, right?" I remind him. "Your dorm mate is going to have to get more pain meds and more trash bags."

He laughs loudly. "Patrick loves me though," He replies, leaning against the counter to keep his balance. "He doesn't mind it." He frowns. "Though he does get annoyed when I skip class because of my hangover and have to copy his notes." I raise my eyebrows at him and he laughs again.

I glance at my friends. They're staring at me and Pete, nearly making me laugh. They look so confused. Can't say I didn't warn them.

Pete suddenly whines. "Wait, fuck," He says, "I forgot Patrick!"

I notice the short boy's absence as well. "Was he at the bar with you?" I ask. He nods.

"He was supposed to take, me home but then my head... head started to hurt so I walked outside for air," He replies, though I moreso have to interpret his drunken rambling. "Then I got cold and thought, 'Hey, Luke is warm' so I came here and now he's all gone." I snicker.

"He probably knows where you are," I say. "Just sit tight and wait for him." Pete nods.

He giggles, taking my hand in both of his. "You have nice hands," He comments. "Do you play guitar?" I snort.

"We've been over this thousands of times," I remind him. "Yes, I play the guitar. We played together last month, remember?"

"Oh yeahhhhhhh." Pete laughs. "I'm really drunk, sorry."

I laugh. "I can tell," I reply. He nearly loses his balance and he grips my hand tightly to keep from falling.

"I'm going to play guitar," He says, pointing vaguely towards the guitars. "That sounds fun." He starts stumbling away and my eyes widen.

"Pete, I really wouldn't-" Too late.

He trips over air, falling into the guitars. There's a loud crash and I think he cut his eyebrow because I can see some blood. My eyes widen and I rush to him. He groans, trying to push away the guitars. One, that still managed to stay hung up, promptly swings back and smacks him in the face.

"Are you alright?" I ask. He nods, holding his nose.

My friends rush over as well, cursing. Before Pete can say anything else, Patrick rushes into the shop, looking around frantically.

"Is Pete here-oh my god, are you ok?" Patrick rushes over with wide eyes. He takes in the scene before he snorts. "Did he trip again?" I laugh.

"I love the concern," I say sarcastically. Patrick flips me off and I laugh. "And yes, he did."

Pete pouts. "Patrickkkkk," He whines. "The guitar was mean to me."

Patrick sighs, though he's smiling a little. "How was the guitar mean to you, Pete?" He asks. Pete shoves the guitar again before I can tell him not to and it smacks him in the face again, harder this time.

Patrick winces, but then he nearly doubles over laughing. "You are so wasted," He manages, nearly wheezing. He puts a hand on Michael's shoulder to keep steady and Michael jumps in surprise. I snicker.

At that, Patrick finally acknowledges my friends' presence. He nods towards them, calming down a little. He looks over at me. "So you actually do have friends," He teases. "I thought you just made them up so it wouldn't seem like you only talk to drunks."

I flip him off and he laughs. Michael grins. "We're going to get along nicely," He says. I shove him and he laughs. "I'm Michael."

"Patrick," Patrick replies, shaking Michael's hand. Michael grins.

Pete frowns. "Help me up," He whines, making grabby hands towards me and Patrick. We laugh, helping him up. He leans on Patrick for support, glaring at Michael. I know why, but Michael doesn't seem to.

"What did I do?" He asks.

"Don't start-" I'm cut off by Pete trying to protectively hug Patrick.

"Hands off," He slurs. "He's mine, not yours, bitch." He doesn't sound threatening just because he's completely wasted. He just sounds tired.

Patrick's eyes widen and he nearly drops Pete. "QUIT TELLING EVERYONE WE'RE DATING."

I laugh, nearly doubling over. "You practically are though," I reply. Patrick glares at me and I laugh even more, putting my hands up in surrender.

Melanie pops her head out of the back room. She looks at the carnage and then at Patrick and Pete. She waves, chuckling. "Hey, you two!" She greets. "Having a good time?"

Patrick glares at her, though it's more playful than the one directed at me. "I'm taking Pete home," He replies. When he realizes how that sounded, he adds flatly, "Pete has a test tomorrow and he barely sleeps well as is so might as well take him home. That, and I'm completely exhausted."

I raise my eyebrows. "Keep telling yourself that, Trick," I tease. He punches me on the arm and I laugh.

Pete's eyes widen. "Wait, _fuck, I have a test tomorrow_." He grabs Patrick's hand, trying to run out of the shop. "I FORGOT TO STUDY, TRICK!" Patrick grunts, stumbling after him.

"I KNOW," Patrick yells back. "THATS WHY I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO OUT BUT _NO_ , YOU THOUGHT STAYING IN AND STUDYING WAS FOR NERDS."

I laugh, shaking my head at the two of them. "Bye guys!" I call after them. Patrick waves weakly as he's dragged back outside.

Before the door closes all the way, Pete yells, "BYE LUKE, I LOVE YOU." I snort, rolling my eyes.

"I swear," I comment, "it's a wonder he's survived college this long." I start picking up the guitars, humming to myself. None seem too terribly damaged, though I notice some are probably coming home with me and one is a little tinted with blood.

I put aside the ones that need a little fixing or cleaning and put the rest back in their places. It takes me a few minutes to realize how eerily quiet it is. I turn back to my friends, who are staring at me in stunned silence. I snort.

"I fucking told you," I say, pointing at them. "That's what you get for not believing me."

"This happens everyday?" Ashton asks. I shrug.

"Most days," I reply. "It's not always the same people everyday, but we have a lot of regulars from the bar. Sometimes there are big parties and shows there. Not all of the regulars drink every day. Some, like Patrick, don't drink much at all."

I shrug again. "Keeps the job interesting," I reply. I chuckle. "Also nearly gives me a damn heart attack every other day."

"When does your shift end again?" Calum asks slowly. I snort.

"Midnight, give or take," I reply. I nod towards the door. "Trust me, it's not just Pete." I laugh.

"It never is."


	2. "Don't be such a party pooper, Luke!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the hell am I doing lmao

The next drunk to come stumbling in is Rian. He’s an alright drunk I guess. A bit dopey, but not as much as Pete. He doesn’t ramble as much, but he says the weirdest shit when he does actually talk. At least it's him and not one of the crazier ones.

He stumbles in with Zack, whom is practically clinging to him for dear life. Close behind follows Alex and Jack. Speak of the fucking devils. _They’re_ the ones you need to watch out for.

Rian waves to me, smiling. Zack gives me a tired smile, waving as well. Rian leans against him, giggling quietly. I smirk a little.

“Having fun there, Zack?” I ask. He flips me off and I laugh.

“I don’t know why I have to be the sober one all the time,” He says. “Patrick ditched me because Pete went MIA so I had to take the rest home.”

“Andy and Joe not go with you guys?” I ask. Zack shakes his head.

“They left in a taxi a while ago,” He replies. “Said they were going to Brendon’s party.”

Alex stumbles in finally, yelling, “I WANTED TO GO TOO.”

Zack sighs. “Yeah, they wanted to go,” He says, “but the last time they got cross-faded, they nearly got arrested, and I don’t want to deal with that.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Looks like you have your hands full there,” I comment. He glares at me and I laugh again.

Alex and Jack stumble up to the counter, arms around each other for support. “Hey,” They slur. “Do you know what time it is?”

I check my phone. “10:00, right on the dot,” I reply.

“That’s early,” Jack whines. He tries to turn to Zack, but nearly falls over. “Why did we have to leave?”

Zack narrows his eyes at him. “We got kicked out, Jack, and it was your fault,” He replies flatly. Jack pouts.

“Was not.”

Zack considers this. “Yeah, you’re right,” He says, “it was your fault _and_ Alex’s fault.”

Alex seems offended. “How was it _my_ fault?” He asks.

I glance at Zack. “Do I want to know?” He shakes his head, and I know that I should take the advice.

My friends, however, have other ideas. “What did they do?” Calum asks. I give him a warning look, which he promptly ignores. Zack turns to him with slightly widened eyes.

Rian lets out a loud laugh before saying, “Basically, they went crazy and stood up on the bar. Then they fell over and dicks happened.”

We turn to Zack and he groans. “That’s not what happened,” He says. He sighs. “What happened was Jack and Alex get up on the bar, or at least tried to, because they couldn’t find anyone and they were lost. They fell into the bartender, knocking his head against a wall-”

My eyes widen. “Please tell me this isn’t going to end with a dead bartender,” I say. Zack shakes his head.

“Nah, just a concussion,” He replies. He shrugs. “Anyway, they get up, giggling and apologizing, then they wander into the back room. They think they’re alone so they start making out and yeah they kinda got caught.”

“Something tells me that’s not how they got kicked out,” Michael says. Zack nods.

“They got kicked out because they panicked and Jack yelled, ‘YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE,’ ran into the main area, fly still down, and slammed into a drum kit.”

I snort, resting my head against the counter as I laugh. “That sounds like them, alright,” I manage, gasping for air.

When I look up, Alex and Jack are gone. I narrow my eyes, straightening up. “Where the hell did they go?” I ask.

Ashton shrugs. “They mumbled something about a bathroom,” He replies. I narrow my eyes even more.

“Which way did they go?” Ashton points towards the back room and I groan.

“Are you sure that’s where they went?” I ask. He nods, giving me a confused look. I exchange looks with Zack, who has now resorted to sitting on the floor with Rian.

“They went there again, didn’t they,” Zack asks. I nod, groaning.

“Melanie!” I yell.

“What?”

“Where’s the hammer?”

“Why do you need it?”

I laugh a little, just because of how dumb it sounds. “Alex and Jack are in the closet again!”

There’s a bit of rummaging around before she rushes out of her office, handing me the hammer. “Please get them out,” She says. “Last time they were there I had to clean up vomit too.”

I narrow my eyes. “You didn’t clean the closet that time,” I reply. “I did.”

She shrugs. “Whatever,” She says, “it smelled like vomit down this hallway for at least a week, and I don’t want to deal with that again.”

She glances at the closet, wrinkling her nose. Then she rushes past, back into her office. I can’t help but laugh a little. This should not be a common occurrence.

“You know,” Zack says, “it’s a wonder you guys are still open.”

I look over at him. “Be thankful this doesn’t happen much during the day anymore,” I reply. “That’s when we nearly got shut down.” He grimaces.

I walk over to the closet door, pounding against the door. “Can you two please get out of there?” I ask. “I have to do this almost every time.”

I don’t get a response, but a good enough idea on what’s going on. I sigh. I take a large swing and slam the hammer into the door. The door cracks and the two yelp in surprise.

“Get the hell out of there!” I laugh a little, stepping away from the door. After a moment, I add, “Preferably, with all your clothes on.”

About a minute later, they stumble out, holding onto me for support. They laugh, shaking their heads. “Don’t be such a party pooper, Luke!” Alex slurs.

I roll my eyes. “I have to clean up after you all, so I think I have a right,” I reply, chuckling. They whine, but they stumble back over to Zack.

“I think you guys should head back,” I say. I jab a thumb in Alex and Jack’s direction. “I don’t want them getting any more ideas.”

Zack laughs a little, helping Rian to his feet. “It was a good break while it lasted,” He says. I laugh. He waves again. “See you later, Luke.”

Rian waves and Jack and Alex blow me kisses, making me laugh. Then Zack herds them out the door, making sure they don’t fall into traffic. I watch them go, shaking my head. I put the hammer in a drawer behind the counter, just so it’s on hand.

I glance over at my friends, who look more confused than before. “What the hell just happened?” Ashton asks.

“And what the hell usually goes on in that closet?” Michael asks, wrinkling his nose. I laugh.

“Take a wild guess.” When they all grimace, I laugh.

“We still have a few hours to go,” I say nonchalantly. “If you guys want to stay…”

They all shake their heads, shooting to their feet. “I think I’ve had enough for one night,” Calum says. Michael and Ashton nod.

“Tell us if anything else happens,” Michael says. They all quickly wave before nearly sprinting out the door. I laugh, shaking my head.

I turn back to the office door, grinning. “You owe me twenty bucks.”

“Oh, shut up Lucas, get back to work.”

“…You still lost the bet.”

“Fuck you.”


	3. "Holy shit, you're actually sober for once"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one chapter where no one is drunk

None of the other regulars showed up that day. Most of them were at Brendon’s party, so none of them came this way. Doesn’t mean I didn’t get any more drunks. I knocked a hole in the closet door because of how many times I’ve hit it with a hammer. Some people are just nasty.

About a week after that, just at the beginning of my shift, Alex walks in. There’s a noticeable lack of a stumble, as well as a lack of his boyfriend. I raise an eyebrow at him.

“You alright, Alex?” I ask cautiously. Alex grins, walking up to the counter.

“Perfectly fine,” He replies. He notices my expression and laughs. “Perfectly sober as well.”

I fake a gasp, though it’s only half fake. “Holy shit, you’re actually sober for once,” I say. He smacks me and I laugh, shaking my head.

“So, then,” I ask, “what is a sober Alex Gaskarth doing here, all alone, at 8:05PM?”

He laughs. “Need to buy some stuff for my guitar,” He replies. “I’m looking for a new pedal as well as one of our amps broke.”

I fake another gasp. “He’s sober _and_ he’s actually buying something for once?” I put my hand on my chest. “This hasn’t happened in 84 years!”

Alex smacks me again, laughing. “Will you shut up and help me?” He asks. I laugh.

“It’s my job, jackass.”

“Don’t swear, assholes!” Melanie calls from the back room. We laugh.

“Have I ever mentioned I love your boss?” He asks as we walk towards the pedals. I smack him on the arm, flipping him off.

“She doesn’t love you,” I tease. Alex pouts, but then he laughs.

“She hates me when I’m drunk, not sober,” He points out. I roll my eyes, smiling.

“Alcohol doesn’t make you into a different person, Alex,” I point out. He smacks me again and I laugh, giving him a teasing shove.

“So,” I ask, “how’s college going?”

He shrugs. “Alright, I guess,” He replies. “I fell asleep in class yesterday and smacked my head on the desk and scared the shit out of Ryan.”

I laugh. “How is the guy, by the way?” I ask. “I haven’t seen any of them in a while.”

He laughs. “They’re fine,” He replies. “They just haven’t been heading to that bar because it’s too expensive at the moment. They’re trying to cut down on how much they spend on alcohol.”

“I think all of you should take that hint,” I tease. He shoves me, laughing again.

“Your life would be boring without us,” He teases back. “We’re the life of the party, after all.”

“I’d ask if you only see me when you’re drunk, but you’re here, so I got my answer already.” This earns me another shove, making me snicker.

Once we’re done looking at pedals, we go over and find Alex an amp. A few other customers wander in as Alex makes sure of what amp he wants. Looks like a small family, and I almost want to laugh. We don’t get a lot of those anymore. Especially not this close to the night crawl.

“May I help you?” I ask, not moving from where I stand. The family turns to me and Alex glances over at them.

“Do you sell bass guitars?” The woman asks. I nod. I glance at Alex, who nods.

“Let me show you,” I reply, leading them over to the bass guitars. They seem really polite, though they keep glancing around the shop as if a skeleton is going to pop out of the closet.

“This is, um,” The man says awkwardly, “a nice shop you’ve got there.”

I chuckle. “Not mine,” I reply. I jab a thumb over my shoulder to the back room. “My boss is back there doing what I’m assuming is paperwork.”

“What else would your boss be doing?” The woman asks. I snort.

“Who knows,” I reply. They exchange glances and that probably wasn’t the right thing to say but it’s better than ‘I don’t know but sometimes I hear her singing the entire High School Musical soundtrack so I’ve learned not to ask.’

The little girl, who I’m assuming they’re buying the bass guitar for, looks over at Alex and asks, “Is that your boyfriend?”

Alex, who was just finishing up his check of the amp he wants, quickly turns towards us, his eyes wide. We both blush, exchanging wide-eyed looks. I look back at the girl. “Why do you ask?” I manage, trying not to stumble over my words.

She shrugs. “You two just looked like boyfriends,” She replies. She raises an eyebrow. “Why did you get so scared?”

I stammer a little, not sure how to respond. Alex quickly turns away again, murmuring to himself. The girl laughs, decidedly pleased with this response. She doesn’t ask any more questions. I’m sort of glad.

Once I’ve composed myself again, I help the family buy the bass and the stuff they need, trying not to make eye contact with the girl. She giggles a little, so I know she notices it. My cheeks are still red, and I hate it.

When they finally leave, Alex brings his stuff up to the counter. I ring it up in silence, not looking him in the eye. When I’m done, there’s a bit of a silence. After a moment, Alex snorts.

I glance up and he grins. “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” He comments. I glare at him.

“Shut up,” I grumble, trying to hide a small smile. He laughs.

“I mean it. You look so cute.”

“You have a boyfriend to flirt with, lay off.”

“You know, it’s always open, if you wanna…”

“I’m going to give you one warning, Gaskarth.”

He laughs, winking at me. “If you change your mind-” He opens his arms up. “-give me a call.”

I roll my eyes, flipping him off. “Goodbye, Alex,” I say. He laughs, jokingly blowing me a kiss.

“Until next time, Luke,” He replies. Then he turns and leaves, just as the drunks start making their way in.

I stare after Alex, shaking my head. I chuckle. I have learned that sober Alex is just as aggravating as drunk Alex, but I don’t entirely mind. He does have a point. This job would be much more boring without people like him.

He just needs to be a little less cocky and a little less flirty every once in a damn while.


	4. "Why the hell does Brendon have two boyfriends?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurray for polyamory

Towards the end of the month, I finally see Brendon again. At first, he wobbles in by himself, still holding a bottle of beer. I shake my head at him, laughing a little.

“While it’s good to see you, Brendon,” I say, pointing to the bin, “you know we don’t allow alcohol in here. Either drink the rest of the bottle and toss it in here, or toss the bottle in here now.”

Of course, being Brendon, he chugs the rest of his beer then tries to toss the bottle in the bin. He misses and smacks my foot. I curse, jumping a little before picking up the bottle and throwing it away myself.

Brendon giggles. “Sorry,” He slurs. I sigh, smiling a little.

“It’s alright,” I reply. I pat him on the back. “Good to see you again. I got worried. You haven’t been in in so long.”

“I thought no drinking was a good thing,” He says. I shrug.

“In moderation, drinking is fine,” I reply. “Besides, you could stop by sober, you know. Alex did that a few weeks ago.”

Brendon laughs. “He’s cute,” He comments. “I think he likes you.”

My cheeks heat up. “Doubt it,” I mumble. “He already has a boyfriend, Bren,” I remind him. He rolls his eyes, giggling.

“So?” He replies. “I have two.”

I stare at him. “Wait what?”

About a minute later, two boys come stumbling in. I recognize Ryan right away, just because he’s almost always in here with Brendon. Usually he’s not drunk, he’s high. This time it seems to be the latter.

It takes me a second to register the other boy. He doesn’t stop by as often as some of the others do. After a moment, though, I recognize him. Dallon Weekes. I heard he’s been playing with Brendon’s band recently.

Brendon turns to them, grinning brightly. “Hi,” He chirps, leaning on me for support. I grunt in response, stumbling slightly.

Dallon and Ryan grin back, making their way over. They both kiss Brendon on the cheek, laughing. I raise my eyebrows. Since when has Ryan liked Brendon? I knew Dallon kind of did, though I didn’t think it was anything serious. But Ryan? Ryan always got annoyed whenever someone even _thought_ about them being together. It was even worse than Patrick’s reaction to being paired with Pete.

Before I can ask, Melanie pops her head out into the shop. “Brendon, Dallon, Ryan!” She says, grinning. “Nice to see you here again. Worried you had died from partying too hard.”

Brendon laughs. “Never, Mel!” He replies. “I never die.”

Melanie rolls her eyes. “Keep telling yourself that,” She laughs.

“Babe,” Dallon whines, startling me. “My feet hurt.” Never in my life have I heard Dallon call Brendon ‘babe’, and I honestly don’t know how to react.

“Same here,” Ryan whines. Brendon rolls his eyes.

“Then sit down,” He laughs. They all crumple to the floor, laughing hysterically.

Melanie glances at me, waiting for an explanation. I shrug. “Brendon came stumbling in here and said he had two boyfriends and then these two showed up completely wasted.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Why the hell does Brendon have two boyfriends?” She asks. She glances over. “And since when did Ryan like Brendon?”

“ _EXACTLY_.”

She shakes her head. “I mean, I’m one to judge,” She says. “I just didn’t expect them to be the type.”

I shrug. “I just didn’t expect Ryan to actually go along with it.”

“ _Right?_ ”

Ryan tugs on the cuff of my pants. I glance down at him and he grins up at me. “You’re really pretty,” He slurs. “And very tall. You’re, like, Dallon tall.”

I snort. “We are around the same height,” I agree. He laughs.

Dallon nods. “Luke and I are height twins,” He says. I laugh, shaking my head.

“Holy hell, you three are wasted.” I narrow my eyes. “Wait, where the hell is Spencer?”

“He stayed home,” Ryan replies. “He didn’t want to deal with our ‘couple stuff’, whatever that means.”

Melanie snorts. “Smart man,” She comments before heading back into the back room. I notice she doesn’t come out of her office much during my shift. Must be the drunks.

The boys don’t seem to acknowledge her comment. They start chatting among themselves, Ryan still holding on to the cuff of my pants. When I try to move away, he starts hugging my leg, whining quietly until I stop moving.

I sigh, realizing that there’s no way out of this without kicking the poor boy. I mean, he’s just drunk. It’s not like he’s tearing apart the whole store.

After a while, my leg starts to lock up. I glance down at Ryan, who isn’t paying attention to me. He’s still hugging my leg like his life depends on it, though all he’s doing is talking to his boyfriends.

“Ryan?” I ask gently. He glances up at me, his eye a bit out of focus.

“Can you please let go of my leg?” He shakes his head, hugging my leg tighter.

“I like your leg,” He replies. I laugh a little.

Brendon hugs my other leg, humming. “You have nice legs,” He comments. I glance at Dallon.

“Can you please get your boyfriends off of me?” Dallon laughs.

“They just want a hug!” He slurs. I sigh.

“You know,” I say, “when I signed up for this job, they never mentioned I’d have to deal with drunk men hugging my legs like toddlers.”

They all laugh and I can’t help but laugh a little too. The whole situation is a bit ridiculous. I can see why my friends haven’t really stopped by since their first encounter with the people I have to deal with at work.

Eventually, they finally get bored of my legs. They let go and I collapse, my legs giving out. This makes them laugh even more. I laugh with them, crossing my legs.

“Any idea when you guys are going home?” I ask. “Was there anyone else at the bar?”

They shake their heads. “We didn’t see anyone else,” Ryan replies. “I don’t know why.”

Brendon laughs. “The one time we’re at the bar again, no one shows up.”

I shrug, grinning. “Maybe that’s the reason no one showed up,” I tease. He pouts, smacking me on the arm.

“Don’t be rude, Luke.” I laugh.

It takes them a good half an hour (and a lot of shooing) before they actually leave. I didn’t really want them to go, but I was starting to get a headache, and they weren’t looking so good. Ryan kept complaining that his stomach hurt and Brendon kept having to spit.

I’m pretty sure at least one of them threw up before they made it to the stoplight.


	5. "The world is spinning." "It always is, dumbass."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I mean this to turn into 'Luke has a tiny crush on practically everyone'? No. Is that kinda what happened? Basically

The next time I get regulars wandering in is about a week later, and I’m slightly surprised. They tend to stay in their own groups, but this group is jumbled.

Cody stumbles in with Joe, leaning on him for support. They both laugh a bit, waving to me. I raise my eyebrows, waving back. Maxx and Andy stumble in after them, a little better on their feet. I’m assuming they had less to drink. Andy doesn’t drink as much alcohol as the others.

“How are you guys doing?” I ask. I grin. “Long time no see, Trohley.”

“I will murder you,” Andy replies, giving me a dry smile. I laugh, leaning against the counter.

“I didn’t realize you guys partied together that much,” I comment, fiddling with random stuff on the counter. Andy nods.

“Occasionally,” He replies. He glances over to his boyfriend, whom is nearly pushing Cody over because he’s leaning all his body weight on the shorter boy.

“We can get kind of loud,” Maxx says. He laughs. “I wasn’t in the mood to drink all that much but I got persuaded to have a few. I feel perfectly fine, really.”

“The one time you’re less wasted than your boyfriend,” Andy teases, nudging him. Maxx rolls his eyes, laughing and giving him a small shove in return.

Cody and Joe finally topple to the floor, laughing hysterically. I turn my attention to them, raising my eyebrows. “Are you guys alright?” I ask. Cody gives me a thumbs up, though he seems to have a hard time doing the task.

Joe gets up first. He stumbles over to Andy, chuckling to himself. “The world is spinning,” He comments, resting his body weight on Andy now. He grunts, trying to keep them both steady.

“It always is, dumbass,” Cody laughs. Joe flips him off and he laughs even harder.

They continue rambling to each other, though Cody can’t stop giggling at random intervals. It’s been a while since I’ve had one of the regulars come in as a sexual drunk, which is sort of a blessing. Then again, sometimes drunk giggles are the weirdest and most painful thing you’ll have to listen to. At least Cody has a cute laugh.

As they’re rambling, a couple comes in. They freeze, turning to the drunks. The drunks barely seem to acknowledge their existence. The couple exchange glances before cautiously making their way to the counter. I smile gently at them, though I don’t think I hide my confusion well. It’s almost 10PM. We never really get sober people in here at this time.

“How may I help you?” I ask. They jump a little, as if startled by me talking.

“I was wondering if I could look at some of the guitars?” The girl asks. I nod, smiling.

“I’ll show you where they’re at,” I reply, leading them over to the guitars.

“What kind are you looking for?” I ask, skimming through the guitars. The girl hesitates and I glance at her. I start to smile again. “Is this your first time buying a guitar?”

She shrugs. “I’m just looking for now,” She replies. “If I find one I really like, then I’ll get one. But for right now, I’m kind of just looking.”

I nod. “I understand that,” I say politely.

There’s a moment of silence before the couple lower their voices to a whisper. “Are those people drunk?” They ask. I chuckle, nodding.

“There’s a bar about a block down,” I reply. “We get a lot of drunk customers this late at night. These guys are cool though. They stop by pretty often, but not all the time.”

“This is normal?” The boy asks, casting a glance towards the group. I look over as well.

Cody is draped on Maxx, humming into his neck. Andy and Joe are sitting on the floor, playing patty-cake. Maxx and Cody start to fall over before they crash into the amps, yelping in surprise. We all jump, staring at them.

After a moment, they glance at each other and burst into laughter. They cuddle close to each other, muttering to each other. I shake my head fondly at them. Trust me on this one: they can be a hell of a lot worse than this.

I turn back to the couple, shrugging. “Basically,” I reply. “There are some people who don’t stop in here often and there are some that show up almost every week. It really depends. Some nights are worse than others.”

“Your boss allows it?” They ask incredulously. I shrug again.

“Sometimes they do actually buy stuff, and they usually don’t harm the store too badly,” I reply. “Besides, we don’t get a lot of customers late at night anyway, so it’s not like the drunks really harm anyone when they’re here. If they do, they get kicked out.”

I point to the bin, which recently got cleaned out. “Our one rule is you can’t get drunk in the building or in front of it,” I add. “If you come in drunk, we can’t really stop you. But you can’t drink in front of or in the store.”

They nod their heads slowly, processing this. They cast another glance at the group of giggling drunk boys. They watch them carefully, as if they’ll get attacked if they don’t. I chuckle.

“Relax,” I say, “they’re harmless, really.”

They don’t seem to believe me, but they don’t fight me on it either. As they’re skimming through guitars, I go back and check on the drunks. Cody and Maxx immediately rush over to me, wrapping me up in their arms and dragging me down.

I grunt in surprise while they giggle. Cody sits on my chest while Maxx rests my head in his lap, playing with my hair. I snort, struggling a little.

“I have a job to do, you two,” I scold halfheartedly. They shrug.

Cody starts playing with my fingers, occasionally kissing Maxx. Maxx continues to play with my hair, though occasionally he will get his fingers tangled. I sigh, accepting my fate. I know they’ll eventually let me up anyway. It’s not like anyone else needs me right now.

“What are you three doing?” Andy asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. Maxx and Cody laugh.

“He’s pretty,” Cody replies, as if this answers everything. I sigh, chuckling.

Then, to my surprise, Cody leans down and kisses the tip of my nose. I freeze, tensing a bit. Cody laughs, seeming not to notice. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks as he resumes playing with my fingers. I don’t quite know how to respond.

After a few minutes, I hear someone clear their throat. I turn and look at the couple I was talking to earlier. I snicker a little at their expressions. It’s a mixture of confusion and mild horror. I turn back to Maxx and Cody.

“I have to do my job,” I whine quietly. They grumble, not wanting to let me up.

Eventually, they do let me get back to my feet and I walk behind the counter again. I ring up what they bought, still blushing a little. The couple shifts uncomfortably.

“What was that about?” They ask. I shrug.

“I have no idea,” I reply. “They’ve never done that before.”

The couple exchange glances again before nodding slowly. I don’t miss how quickly they leave the store after that. I shrug. We get more business during the daylight anyway.

Eventually, the drunks start to get bored and start whining that they want to go home. To my surprise, however, they all come up and say goodbye individually. Joe gives me a hug, giggling. Andy waves, telling me he’ll probably stop by again sometime.

Maxx takes my hand for a second, humming. “Bye Luke,” He says, pecking me on the cheek. I stand there, frozen. Am I used to flirting? Sure. Am I used to people holding my hand and acting physically affectionate at work? Nope. Especially since I know that Maxx isn’t nearly as drunk as Cody.

Cody does something similar, making me blush even more. They don’t seem to notice, though. Then they both stumble out together, laughing at trashcans and random litter floating by. I watch them go, watching how Andy and Joe come back for them.

After a few minutes, I hear a voice behind me say, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re smitten with most of our regulars.”

I glare at Melanie. “I’m not smitten,” I grumble. “They’re just my friends.”

She hums. “Well,” She replies, “you’re smitten with some of them. I notice how you act, you know.”

“Shut up, Mel,” I mumble, burying my face in my hands. She chuckle, rubbing my shoulder.

“Get back to work, lover boy,” She teases. “Those amps need fixed.”

I glare at her again before going over and fixing the amps. No matter how much I glare, though, I can’t hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks.


	6. "You think I'm a cute drunk, right?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aka the calm chapter where I have no lane and I'm so sorry for this

I’m working in the back room when Melanie calls to me, “Luke! Alex is here and he wants to talk to you for a minute.”

I furrow my eyebrows, stopping what I’m doing. “Is he sober?” I ask.

“As far as I can tell,” She replies. “I know, I’m surprised too.” Alex's laugh rings loud enough for me to hear it from where I stand.

I slowly finish up what I was doing, shake my head. This is the second time this month that Alex has come into the shop, alone and sober. He never usually does this, let alone this frequently.

Once I’ve finished that, I make my way to the counter. Alex leans against the counter, humming. He smiles in greeting as I walk closer. I smile back.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I tease. Alex rolls his eyes, snorting.

“You sound like a nerd.”

“I am one, jackass.”

He laughs. “I guess that’s true,” He says.  I give him a small shove and he laughs again. He shakes his head a little.

“But really,” I ask, “what are you doing here? This is the second time I’ve seen solo sober Alex in a month. Must be something important.”

He laughs. “I was wondering,” He replies, “if, next Friday, you wanted to go to a party with some of us. I mean, you’ve seen us drunk all the time, but you’ve never partied with us.”

I raise my eyebrows. I definitely wasn’t expecting an invitation to a party. “Why do you ask?” I reply.

He shrugs. “We just wanted you to come,” He replies. He snorts. “You can bring your friends if you wanna. I still have yet to meet them and fully remember the encounter.”

I laugh. “I can ask them,” I reply. “I’ll think about it.”

He pouts a little. “Come on,” He whines. “I know well enough that you don’t mind drunk people.” Then he laughs a little, winking. “Besides, I’m sure you’re an adorable drunk.”

My cheeks heat up and I start fiddling with random objects on the counter. “I’m an embarrassing drunk,” I mumble. “I’m not adorable.”

He snorts. “Shit, I’m an embarrassing drunk too, and I’m called adorable all the time!” He points out.

I roll my eyes. “I think they’re just trying to keep your ego intact,” I tease. He pouts.

He leans closer to me, humming. “You think I’m a cute drunk, right?” He asks coyly. I glance at him, a little startled by the question.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

He stares at me expectantly. I tap my fingers on the counter, unsure of how to answer. I glance away nervously. Alex notices I’m stalling and taps my shoulder, getting me to look at him. I lock eyes with him and he smiles slightly.

“You think I’m a cute drunk, right?” He asks again, much quieter this time.

I hesitate before answering. “Yes,” I reply slowly. “You’re a cute drunk.”

He grins in triumph. Then, before I can respond, he quickly presses his lips against mine. They’re gone in a second, so I almost think I imagined it. I squeak in surprise.

Alex raises his eyebrows, laughing a little. My cheeks are burning but I don’t miss the blush creeping onto his cheeks as well. We stare at each other for a few moments, silent.

Then I smile shyly and give him a small shove. “Leave that for your boyfriend.”

He laughs, shrugging. “He doesn’t mind. He kinda wants to do that too.”

That makes me raise my eyebrows. “Seriously?” He nods. I think about that for a moment.

Before I can say anything else, Zach and Dan stumble in. Unlike Alex, I can tell that these two are drunk. They’re some of the only drinking buddies in the same group that aren’t dating. That, and Spencer isn’t dating anyone in his group either.

Then grin when they see me and Alex. They make their way over to us, chuckling. “Luke! Alex!” Dan says, slurring a little. “Can we stay in here until the rain stops?”

Alex and I glance outside. I didn’t even notice the rain starting. We exchange glances before shrugging. I turn back towards Melanie’s office.

“Is it alright if Zach and Dan stay in here until the rain passes?”

She pokes her head out of her office. “Are they drunk?” I nod. She sighs, smiling a little. “Yes, they can stay until the rain passes. But, if they break anything…”

I chuckle. “They know, they know.” She laughs a little before ducking back into her office.

Zach and Dan seem content with the answer.  They sit on the floor, scrolling through their phones. Offhandedly, Zach asks, “Hey, Lex, did you ask Luke to the party yet?”

Alex grins at me and I roll my eyes. He laughs. “Yes, I did,” He replies. He leans a bit closer. “I still haven’t gotten a definite yes or no.”

I chuckle. “I said I’d think about it,” I reply. He sighs.

“That’s not the answer I wanted.”

I raise my eyebrows. “What was the answer you wanted?”

He grins and I already know what’s going to happen. I sigh, casting a warning glance towards Zach and Dan. “Gaskarth, I swear to god-”

I’m cut off by his lips pressing against mine again. Zach and Dan fall silent for a moment. This kiss is a bit longer than the last one. I give myself the pleasure of closing my eyes, kissing back lightly.

When he pulls away, I give him another shove. “How about I make a deal with you?”

He raises his eyebrows. “Shoot.”

I chuckle, smirking a little. “If you stop kissing me,” I say, teasing a little, “then I’ll go to the party.”

Alex considers this for a moment. Then he sighs. “Fine,” He replies, putting his hands up in surrender. He chuckles. “No more kisses.” He winks. “I’ll let Jack do the rest.”

I roll my eyes, smacking him. “I’m debating whether or not to throw you out in the rain,” I warn.

He shrugs. “You won’t,” He replies. He smiles lightly. “You love me too much.”

I roll my eyes again, laughing. “Whatever floats your boat.”

He pouts, but he can’t keep it up for long. We both laugh. After a moment, Dan decides to speak up. “Are you two together or something?”

My eyes widen and I shake my head quickly. “No, no,” I reply. “We’re not.”

“We could,” Alex teases. I smack him on the arm.

“I’m not joining you and Jack’s relationship.”

He shrugs. “The offer is open,” He replies. “We’d both love it if you joined.”

I chuckle a little, not meeting his eyes. “Oh shut up.”

After a while, things fall into a comfortable silence. I sit with Alex, Zach, and Dan on the floor. No one else really comes in because of the rain. I don’t really mind. I like this. It’s not hectic, it’s not loud, but it isn’t boring either.

I rest my head on Alex’s shoulder absently, humming. He puts an arm around me, holding me a little closer to his side. I smile slightly. I listen to the rain and, genuinely, this is the calmest I’ve ever been at work.

I don’t know how I feel about it.


	7. "Pete said I'm a horrible dancer"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> haven't updated this in a while sorry it's shit and sorry for the weird Luke/Alex/Jack sub plot i don't know where that came from

“Why did you call us here again?” Michael asks cautiously, walking through the door. I glance up from my phone, smiling a little.

“Miss me?” I tease gently. Michael rolls his eyes. Ashton and Calum snort.

“I wanted you guys to be here today,” I say. “Just because you haven’t been here in a while. Besides, I had a question I wanted to ask you guys, and this way you can’t just ghost on me or hang up.”

“Do I have a right to be concerned?” Ashton asks. I snort.

“Probably.”

“Who will it be today?” Calum asks, plopping down on one of the newer beanbag chairs. I shrug.

“I never usually know, honestly.”

Before I can say anything else, Melanie walks in, her arms folded. “Is something going on with you and Alex?” She asks, her eyebrows raised. That grabs my friends’ attention.

My eyes widen and my cheeks grow hot. “No,” I reply, a little flustered. “He just keeps flirting with me, that’s all.” I stop, narrowing my eyes. “Wait why.”

She shrugs. “Because he keeps coming in sober and I figured I wouldn’t want to ask while he was here,” She replies.

I roll my eyes. “If something were going on, you know damn well that Alex and Jack would have made it completely obvious by now,” I point out. She considers this thoughtfully.

Finally, she says, “Fair enough.” As she’s walking back to her office, she throws me a wink. “Don’t do anything stupid with those two.”

I flip her off and she laughs, flipping me off back. I sigh, rolling my eyes. I turn back to my friends, who are all smirking at me with raised eyebrows. I roll my eyes again.

“Was that what you wanted to talk about?” Calum teases. I flip him off.

“No, it was not,” I reply, my cheeks still hot. “I still don’t know how she’s bored enough to care about who the hell her employees are with.” I shrug. “I asked you guys here because Alex wanted to invite us to a party tomorrow night and I’d kinda been putting off telling you.”

“You honestly want to party with that guy?” Ashton asks, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, I know you guys are friends and all, but I didn’t know you guys hung out.”

“We don’t,” I reply, waving to the first set of drunks. Pete and Patrick again. “I still don’t know why he invited me. He said I could bring you guys along if I wanted to.”

“I mean,” Michael says, shrugging, “I don’t see why we couldn’t go.”

Calum and Ashton nod. I take that as yeses from them. Before I can say anything else, Patrick speaks. To my surprise (and mild alarm), he’s slurring.

“Hey, Luke,” He says, giving me a small wave. I give Pete a wide-eyed glance.

He shrugs. “He said that we were just going for a concert,” He says. “Then he said that one drink wouldn’t hurt him. He jokingly told me I can’t have anything to drink because I’m always drunk. Then he got way too drunk and now we’re here.”

I raise an eyebrow. As if reading my mind, Ashton says, “So basically you two switched places for the night?”

Pete nods. “Basically.”

“Have I really seen Patrick drunk?” I ask. Pete shakes his head.

“I don’t think so,” He replies. “At least, I don’t think this drunk anyway. Maybe mildly drunk.”

“Pete said I’m a horrible dancer,” Patrick whines. Pete rolls his eyes, laughing.

“I said you were horrible but adorable,” He replies. Patrick pouts still.

“You said I was horrible.”

Pete sighs. “Fine,” He says, a fond smile tugging at his lips, “you’re an amazing dancer, Trick.”

The younger obviously doesn’t believe him, but is content nonetheless. Patrick grins, resting his head on Pete’s shoulder.

“Just out of curiosity,” Michael says, “what is Patrick’s poison?”

Pete snorts. “Usually scotch,” He replies. “Though, tonight, he just drank about everything that was handed to him, which is a little concerning.”

Patrick giggles. “Hey, Pete,” He slurs. Pete glances over at him, humming in response. Patrick laughs again.

“Do you remember what I said at the bar that made you smack me?”

Pete sighs, laughing a little. “That was ten minutes ago, Trick, so yes, yes I do remember.”

Calum raises an eyebrow. “What did he say?”

Pete snorts. “Tell them, Trick,” He says, glancing at the younger. Patrick narrows his eyes at him, but doesn’t protest.

He turns to Calum, snickering a little. _“Don’t just look at her ass, eat it!”_

I snort, laughing a little. “Did you actually say that in public.”

“Yes, he did,” Pete replies, a bit of pride in his voice. “Though, admittedly, that wasn’t the best idea.”

“I’d assume not,” Michael says, bemused.

Conversation is slow. Patrick is kind of a funny drunk (I’ve been told he’s funnier when he’s dancing, but there’s no music, so I have no proof), but he’s not as entertaining as a drunk Pete. Still, it’s amusing seeing the discomfort occasionally flash on Pete’s face because he isn’t used to being the sober one.

After a while, Patrick stumbles over to the drums. Pete wasn’t watching him, and I only notice him out of the corner of my eye. My eyes widen and I turn my attention to him.

“Trick, what are you doing?”

Patrick mumbles in response. “I’m a drummer.”

Pete narrows his eyes, turning to his friend as well. “Not in our band, you’re not.” Patrick rolls his eyes.

“You guys forced me to be singer,” He whines. “I was perfectly fine being a drummer.”

“You have an amazing voice, Trick,” Pete says. Patrick shrugs, unconvinced.

Here’s the problem with Patrick trying to get this specific drum kit: it’s up on a raised platform, meaning you kind of have to step up to it. Patrick sorta forgets about this, and consequently runs into it, tripping.

He smacks his face on the actual drum kit, cursing loudly. The loud crash startles us, making us jump and whip around. Pete rushes over to Patrick at the same time as Melanie racing out to check on us.

She stares at the scene in front of her, confused. She glances at me and I just shrug. When she realizes everything is basically fine, she sighs, shaking her head. She mumbles something about ‘that stupid stage’ before walking back into her office. I chuckle a little.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Pete says, helping a groaning Patrick to his feet.

“Are you going to the party tomorrow?” Patrick asks me. My cheeks start growing hot again.

“Yeah,” I reply. “Do you know where it’s at?”

“It’s at Brendon’s,” Pete says. “I can give you the address.”

I feel my friends staring at me as I get the details. I can’t tell if them staring is a positive or a negative thing. I’m not sure I want to know.

Once Patrick and Pete leave, my friends turn to me. “What should we even expect from this party?” Ashton asks. I shrug.

“I’m assuming drugs, alcohol, and a possible run in with the cops.” I laugh a little. “Oh, and a lot of gay.”

“My kind of crowd,” Calum jokes. I snort.

“Are Jack and Alex going to be flirting with you the whole time?” Michael asks, raising an eyebrow. I blush again, flipping him off.

“Probably, honestly.”

“Are you ready?” Ashton asks.

“Nope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also had to put the reference in there oops (also do y'all even like this story)


	8. "You seem confident that I'll end up dating them." "If you don't fuck them first."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party chapter

We arrive at the party a bit late, since Michael insisted that he was almost done with his game (he was not). I can’t say I entirely mind. While I want to be here, I’m also slightly uncomfortable. I’ve only really seen these people at work, and there are people I don’t recognize.

Once we’ve wandered for a little bit, I feel someone pat me on the back. I turn slightly and Brendon smiles at me. “Glad you guys could make it,” He says. He seems a little more sober than I usually see him.

“I can’t believe I haven’t done this before,” I joke. Brendon laughs.

“We should invite you more often,” He jokes back. After a moment, he winks. “Alex and Jack should be here soon, by the way.”

My cheeks heat up and my friends snicker. “Can people get off of me about that?” I groan. Brendon laughs, shaking his head.

“Hey, I had to suffer when everyone learned I’m dating two people,” He says. “I’m giving you an early taste of the hell.”

I roll my eyes, giving him a small shove. I can’t say I don’t smile a little though. “You seem confident that I’m going to end up dating them,” I say.

Michael snorts, mumbling into his drink, “If you don’t fuck them first.”

I glare at him as my friends snicker again. Brendon snorts, shaking his head. “Whatever,” He says. “Drinks are scattered around this place. Stoners usually end up around back. No hard drugs, though I figured you wouldn’t do that stuff. Please don’t fuck in front of anyone, and please make me follow my own rule. Thanks.”

Ashton raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean by making you follow your own rule?”

I narrow my eyes, grinning. “I’m assuming,” I say, “that it means that when he gets drunk enough, he’ll do it just about anywhere since it’s his house.”

“How do you afford this place?” Calum asks. Brendon shrugs.

“A few of us share it,” He replies. “It’s pretty new. Trust me, I’m surprised too.”

I snort. “That,” I add, “and the fact that you’ve actually started making money off of that band of yours.”

Brendon laughs. “Fair enough,” He says. “Just don’t get me arrested, alright?”

We all nod and he nods. He wanders off, no doubt trying to find his boyfriends. I’m still getting used to saying that. I still can’t get over the fact that Ryan said yes to that guy. Biggest plot twist of my life, honestly.

“I have not seen most of these people,” Ashton comments. I laugh.

“I have,” I reply. “Some I haven’t, but most I have.”

I decide not to drink just yet, just because I’m still a little self-conscious about how I act when drunk, and because I don’t want to yet. Ashton decides to wait as well. Michael and Calum wander off to go get drinks, pushing through a bit of a crowd.

I lean against the wall, taking out my phone. Ashton decides to sit in a chair nearby, basically doing the same thing. I nod my head along to the music, scrolling through my feed. I am obviously the life of the party.

Obviously.

About ten minutes later, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I glance up and Jack smiles at me. Alex is standing close by, and I wish I could wipe the shit-eating grin off of his face. I narrow my eyes at him and both of them laugh.

“Glad you could make it,” Jack says, kissing my cheek. I glare at him, folding my arms. Still, I can’t keep this damn smile off of my face.

“Luckily,” I reply, chuckling a little.

Alex laughs, coming over and kissing my cheek as well. Ashton looks up from his phone, bemused. I flip him off and he laughs, shaking his head. Alex and Jack glance over at Ashton, who waves at them. They wave back, chuckling.

“This is Brendon’s new place, huh?” I say, glancing around. They nod.

“He got kicked out of the dorms,” Jack replies. “He’s basically taken in a lot of us who wanted to move out or got kicked out of the dorms.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Do I want to know?”

“Nope.”

I laugh a little. “How many people live here?” I ask.

Alex shrugs, taking a drink offered to him. “About seven,” He replies. “Everyone has to pay the rent, but since most of us aren’t in this house much, bills aren’t sky high or anything.”

Jack snorts. “That,” He says, “and Brendon’s parents helped him get this place.”

I raise my eyebrows again. Alex laughs. “It’s a family house,” He explains. “It was a second home for his aunt or something. As long as he pays for most of the bills, they let him stay here.”

I nod. Alex hands me a drink and I take it. I take a sip, glancing over at Ashton. He pretends that he wasn’t listening in on our conversation. Still, I can still see him smiling a little. I start to get his attention, but then Alex takes my free hand.

“Come on,” He says, “we should try to have at least a little fun.”

Jack nods. I (reluctantly) let Alex and Jack lead me into another room. The speakers are in here, so the music is a hell of a lot louder in here. I wince a little as we make our way through. I don’t recognize this song, but I didn’t expect to. I’m not entirely a rap kind of guy.

At first, we just drink, dancing a little to the music. After a few songs (and a few drinks), however, Alex and Jack start to get a little more into it. I lose count of how many times they nearly smack my in the face. I admit, I do start to get more into it, but I’m still a bit nervous.

“Come on,” Jack whines, taking my hand. “Dance with us.”

My eyes widen a little and I nearly choke on my drink. I finish it up, idly tossing the cup away. Jack drags me away, Alex taking my other hand. Jack starts to bounce, encouraging me to do the same. Alex laughs a little, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“It’s alright,” He says, trying to talk over the music. “You don’t have to be shy, Luke.”

I smile slightly. I start bouncing, attempting (horribly) to dance. Alex and Jack laugh, doing the same. The longer I do it, the more comfortable I feel with it. I laugh along with them. I don’t know half of these songs, but I don’t really care.

Someone thinks it’s a good idea to try and crowd surf. I don’t notice them until they land on the floor next to us, laughing and cursing. We all laugh, turning to them. Pete glances up for the floor, laughing hysterically.

“You guys are assholes!” He laughs, struggling to his feet. “You’re not supposed to let me drop!”

“Drop him!” Patrick calls from a different part of the room, laughing. Pete jokingly glares in his general direction. We laugh.

I take another drink, still laughing. Alex wraps his arm around my waist again, making sure I stay close. He’s holding Jack’s hand, making sure he doesn’t slip away either. I sort of appreciate that. I am mostly here because of them.

“I’m getting kinda tired,” I whine after a while, nursing yet another drink. I’ve stopped caring what I look like at this point.

Jack and Alex nod. “Let’s go somewhere else,” Alex shouts above the music. We nod.

Just as we’re heading into another room, there’s a loud crash and a lot of cursing and laughing. We look at the scene, and I burst into laughter. Rian and Michael are laughing hysterically on the ground. I glance over at Maxx, asking him what happened.

“I have no idea,” He laughs. “All I know is that I don’t think Bren will be happy. Pretty sure they broke something.”

I start to show a bit of concern, but then they both start singing ‘Never Going To Give You Up’.

I stop caring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the writing hiatus. My eyes got tired every time I tried to write for too long (I'm getting new glasses). I'm going to try to update stuff, but I also have school starting Monday. We'll see how this goes. I swear this will get finished eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> What am I doing please help


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